Subletting in Minneapolis-Saint Paul: Student and Intern Guide

Who Sublets in the Twin Cities, and When

The University of Minnesota Twin Cities spans both banks of the Mississippi in Minneapolis, with a second campus in Saint Paul. Augsburg University is beside the West Bank. In Saint Paul, Macalester College, the University of St. Thomas and Hamline University sit along Grand, Summit and Snelling avenues.

These schools run on semesters. Spring ends in May and fall starts around Labor Day, so sublets usually run from mid-May to late August. Summer interns come for the corporate headquarters, hospitals and state government offices in the two downtowns and the suburbs.

Fall and spring semesters abroad create the rest. A spring sublet here covers the coldest months, so say clearly who pays for heat.

Where Students and Interns Live

• Dinkytown and Marcy-Holmes: north of the East Bank campus along University Avenue and 4th Street Southeast.
• Stadium Village and Prospect Park: east of campus, by the Green Line stations of the same names.
• Como: northeast of campus between the Minneapolis and Saint Paul campuses.
• Cedar-Riverside and Seward: by the West Bank and Augsburg, near West Bank Station.
• Downtown Minneapolis, the North Loop and Uptown: near the downtown office towers and the Chain of Lakes.
• Saint Paul: Macalester-Groveland and Merriam Park near Macalester and St. Thomas, and Hamline-Midway by the A Line on Snelling Avenue and the Green Line on University Avenue.

Getting Around

Metro Transit runs the trains and buses. The Green Line runs from Target Field through downtown Minneapolis, the West Bank, East Bank and Stadium Village stations, then along University Avenue to downtown Saint Paul. The Blue Line runs from downtown Minneapolis to the airport and the Mall of America.

Near campus or along the Green Line you can live without a car, and many people bike from spring to fall. Suburban office campuses are hard to reach by transit, so a car is realistically needed for many internships. In winter, ask about snow-emergency parking rules on your street.

The Rules to Check Before You Sublet in Minneapolis or Saint Paul

Minnesota’s Attorney General publishes the state’s landlord and tenant handbook. It describes a sublease as something the landlord may allow, and the office’s advice to tenants who want to sublet is to consult the landlord, examine the lease, and put any sublease agreement in writing. So the lease and your landlord’s consent decide, and you should have both in hand before you list.

You also stay responsible. If your subtenant stops paying or causes damage, the landlord can still look to you under your lease.

Short stays are licensed in both cities. Minneapolis requires a short-term rental license for most rentals of 30 days or less, and tells people renting for longer to use a regular rental license. Saint Paul requires a short-term rental host license for rentals of under 30 days. A sublet of more than 30 days is outside both.

How to Sublet Your Place in Minneapolis

1. Read your lease for a subletting clause. If it requires the landlord’s consent, get that consent in writing.
2. Ask your landlord or property manager in writing. Give your dates and say you will send the subtenant’s name. Keep the written approval.
3. Tell your roommates before you list. If they are on the lease, they usually need to agree too.
4. Set exact move-in and move-out dates that sit inside your own lease term.
5. Price it near your own rent. Add up what you pay each month for rent and utilities and start from that number.
6. Put the deal in writing: names, dates, rent, utilities, house rules, and what happens if plans change. Both of you sign and keep a copy.

Pick a subtenant on the stay only: dates, ability to pay, references, pets, smoking. It is illegal to choose or refuse someone because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability or family status, and state and local laws protect more traits.

• How to Handle Your Sublet, Start to Finish
• Going Abroad: The Apartment Checklist

How to Find a Sublet in Minneapolis Without Getting Scammed

Decide which campus or downtown you need, then look along the Green Line or a frequent bus route. Start looking six to eight weeks before you arrive, and earlier for a summer stay.

Sublet Buddy lists sublets of 30 days or longer. Its listings are live in New York City today, and Minneapolis is on the way.

• See the place in person, or on a live video call where the person walks through it and shows the street outside.
• Ask whether the landlord has approved the sublet in writing, and ask to see that approval.
• Never pay a deposit or rent before you both sign a written agreement.
• Be wary of pressure: a price far below nearby places, a lister who cannot show the place, or a request to pay today by gift card, wire or crypto.

• How to Avoid Sublet Scams (Written for New York, but the Warning Signs Are the Same)
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